The Phoenix
by xwittychickx
Summary: AU one-shot - Detective Kurogane Suwa is on the hunt for an infamous cat burglar. Will he catch the crook, or will the strange, alluring behavior of "the bad guy" sabotage his case? KuroFai, Fai-angst, blatant BS sprinkled with a hint of legitimate knowledge on police work, hyphen abuse, Kuro's naughty language.


**AN:**** Alright, this is my first attempt at writing in a long time, so hopefully I'm not **_**too**_** rusty. I'm pretty sure characterization is crap though (but I'll leave that up to you guys to decide). This plot isn't all too creative, but I had a lot of fun writing it, so hopefully it's also enjoyable to read. You can thank my English teacher for giving creative writing assignment, otherwise I'd still be on a long progressing writer's block. Well, this is by far my longest one-shot! I went 6x over the minimum requirement for my homework, so I apologize for the (unnecessary?) length.**

**DISCLAIMER:**** I'm glad I'm not CLAMP; it'd be too damn exhausting.**

The intermittent clicks of a keyboard fused with the night-time noises of the bustling Koneko City. Within a moderately lit office sat KCPD's infamous detective, Kurogane Suwa. A well-featured face stared blankly at a bright computer screen, boredom silently claiming its victim. A stale cup of coffee rested precariously on a stack of manila files, the bitter liquid long forgotten.

With an exasperated sigh, Kurogane ran a hand through black, spikey hair. Taking a cursory glance at the clock hanging on the wall, the detective resisted the urge to slam his head onto the table. It was nearly midnight and the paperwork was nowhere near done. Cursing every possible thing he could think of, he forced himself back to work.

He was pretty sure that his clock was possessed; at the very least it was the source of all evil. It became increasingly difficult to focus on the task at hand with each infernally annoying tick.

_Tick…tick…tick. _Kurogane was certain he was beginning to develop a nervous twitch in his left eye.

_Tick...tick...tick. _A predatory grin donned his face as he began to imagine various ways, various _violent_ ways, to destroy that damn clock.

_Tick…tick…tick. _Kurogane _did_ have his government issued glock sitting in its holster. It was an extremely tempting idea.

_Tick…tick…tick. _Slowly, long fingers reached for the black handgun.

_Tick _– the sudden noise of the office door slamming open startled Kurogane into wrenching his arm forward, effectively knocking the mug of coffee onto various papers and files strewn about the desk. The detective swore under his breath as he frantically searched for something to absorb the liquid. Without looking up, he effortlessly caught the roll of paper towels thrown in his direction.

"Fuck off, Witch," Kurogane growled ominously. He didn't have to wait to hear the distinctively feminine, maniacal laughter to know who had so _graciously_ entered his office.

"Is that any way to speak to your boss, Detective?" called the voice in an overly dramatic gasp. The only reply received was an indignant snort. Looking up from his efforts to remove the coffee stains on his reports and suit, Kurogane narrowed his eyes at his boss' typical low-cut business attire. Police Chief Yuuko Ichihara was a beautiful woman by all standards, although in his opinion a bit too busty (and dressed too provocatively for any workplace environment). Little was known about Yuuko, except for the fact that she held the city in the palm of her hand, and that she was the devil-woman.

Turning his attention back to his paperwork, Kurogane made the offhanded remark, "So, are you just stopping by before heading to your night-job at the strip club?" Again, Yuuko met her subordinate's blunt disdain with laughter.

"You hurt me Detective! And to think, I was considering giving you a case from the goodness of my heart. This is the last time I supply charity," the entire time she spoke, her voice held a tone of amused mockery. As she spoke, the chief began to turn out of the office, making sure to flaunt a case file tantalizingly in the detective's line of vision.

"Wait," Kurogane tried to keep the desperation out of his voice. Not having a case in weeks was making the young man go stir crazy with boredom. "What's it on?"

Yuuko grinned wolfishly as she snapped back to face him. Gently tossing the file onto the cluttered mess of the desk, she quickly became more serious in expression and tone. "There have been a string of robberies occurring in the ritzy part of Koneko. The jobs are done so well that the MO is pure conjecture at the moment."

Kurogane's forced indifference swapped for a deep frown. "Burglary? That's your so called gift? Whenever you personally give me a job, it always comes with at least three times the paperwork! Like hell I'm doing all that writing when no one's even died!"

Yuuko waved a well-manicured finger in the peeved detective's face; her tongue making 'tsk'ing noises before following up with, "This may not seem like a high profile case, but trust me when I say it is no coincidence that I specified you for the job." Kurogane held back the temptation to roll his eyes at his superior. Her philosophy on hitsuzen was well engrained in every officer at the precinct. The man himself thought it to be a load of bull.

Not waiting for the inevitable scathing remark, she continued her sales pitch of sorts. "Besides, if its paperwork you're concerned with, my assistant will gladly see to the completion of both your current and case-related load." A black eyebrow rose in disbelief; Yuuko wasn't exactly known for her generosity. Kurogane went with his better judgment to not question the witch's motives; she wasn't worth the headache. Giving a slight grunt of agreement, the detective switched his attention to his computer to begin forwarding the report forms.

Seeing Yuuko leave out of the corner of his eye, Kurogane couldn't help feeling a small pang of guilt. Watanuki, the chief's scrawny kid of an assistant, was treated no better than a slave to his employer. Unhealthily pale skin and a quick temper provided clear evidence to how much stress the boy had to endure. He always seemed one order away from having an aneurism, and Kurogane momentarily considered the fact that this new work load may very well put the kid over the edge. Mentally shrugging away the idea, he picked up the case file provided by his boss. Noting the tab that read "The Magician," the detective quietly scanned through the contents.

Giving a small smirk, he muttered to himself, "A cat burglar in the city of the 'little cat'? How fitting."

OoOo

The next night, Detective Suwa drove slowly through the upper-class suburbs of East Koneko. Sharp eyes carefully scanned each darkened house and side street, constantly searching for any sign of suspicious activity. To most, the late-night patrol would be considered a waste of time and effort, but Kurogane was pretty confident in the predictability of criminals.

The Magician, a term coined by the media, was an aptly given name. In some unknown way, the assailant always managed to get in and out of a building before suspicion could be aroused, and not once had a security system gone off. However, Kurogane recognized a pattern to each heist: each occurred one to two weeks from each other, they always took place at night, they never occurred on a weekend or Friday, and the first reported theft took place in late August. It was easy to infer that The Magician worked at a service job, going on escapades when business was slow. Today was a Wednesday, and it had been two weeks since the last claimed robbery.

Kurogane nearly slammed on his breaks as a flash of light flickered into his top right field of vision. Placing attention to a large, two-story home, the detective noted with a sense of satisfaction that there were no cars in the gated driveway. Pulling up beside the fenced entrance, Kurogane double-checked that no civilians were in the area. He loathed public relations, and the general public proved often enough to be too ignorant to understand the concept of probable cause. Stepping out of the vehicle, he stretched his aching muscles while assessing the best course of action to approach the target. A direct confrontation would suffice.

The eight-foot high wall proved to be of little trouble for Detective Suwa. Dashing across the well-kept lawn, Kurogane reached for his pistol. He hoped The Magician resisted; a bullet riddled stress reliever was exactly what he needed. He didn't hesitate to throw his shoulder into the front door; Yuuko put him up for the job, she could pay for damage expenses. The sudden intrusion seemed to startle the thief; frantic footsteps could be heard scurrying about upstairs. _Good,_ _I like it when they panic._

Rushing toward the stairs, Kurogane honed in on the origin of the racket as he switched the safety off of his gun. Up the stairs and down a hallway, he reached his destination at the final door. Throwing it open, gun raised in the air, the poor man had no way to prepare for what he was witnessing.

With a leg reaching out of the window, a flashlight held firmly in one hand, the thief stared wide eyed at the secondary intruder. The Magician was admittedly attractive, with ruffled blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, but what truly threw Detective Suwa off guard was what he was _wearing. _The Magician's costume was a walking cliché! With form-fitting black pants, a black-and-white-striped long-sleeved shirt, black gloves, and a black half-mask to cover the face around his eyes, the blonde looked as though he came straight out of a comic book. To make matters worse, perched on top of the messy locks was a headband with black, furry cat ears.

Lowering his gun slightly, Kurogane's mind raced to make sense of what he was seeing. _What the hell! Those are fucking cat ears! And this idiot is dressed so, so_ obviously!_ How has this dumb ass _not _been caught yet?_ Blue eyes flickered from the gun to the detective's uncertain expression. Taking this as a sign to skedaddle, the thief tried to grab a sack that lay on the floor, presumably filled with valuable gems.

Realizing his mistake, Kurogane quickly raised his gun once more. A threatening growl emitted from his throat before he barked out, "Stop right there, Magician! Move another inch and I will not hesitate to shoot!"

Gloved hands remained frozen mid-air as a light chuckle came from the thief. "Now, now, isn't it rude to refer to someone by a name they don't like? I quite prefer to be called The Phoenix. Please get that right; otherwise you'll hurt my feelings. Speaking of which, what's your name?" Kurogane wasn't sure if "The Phoenix" was trying to mess with him or if the other man was truly this idiotic.

"Detective Kurogane Suwa, but that's not important." Then again, maybe he was the idiot for playing along.

"Detective? Hyuu, that's sexy! I didn't know little ol' me was so important. Maybe next time I'll let you have a piece of my booty," the last comment The Phoenix ended with a wink. Kurogane gaped at the man; was he seriously trying to flirt while at gunpoint? Not waiting for a response, the blonde let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh no, look at the time! As fun as this has been, I really should be going. See ya around Kuro-chuu."

Feeling an explosion of rage, the detective nearly threw down his gun as his focus on the previous objective completely dissipated. "The fuck! It's Kurogane! Ku-ro-ga-ne!" Taking advantage of his captor's distracted condition, The Phoenix utilized lightning fast speed to pick up his sack and jump out the window. It took a few seconds for Kurogane to realize what had just taken place. Racing to the window, he was disappointed to see no flash of golden hair or a beam from the flashlight to act as a beacon calling out the man's location.

It was his fault the criminal escaped. Frustrated, he slammed his hand against the wall, fuming. "Shit."

OoOo

Kurogane was exhausted to say the least. The night before, he searched the streets of East Koneko for at least two hours, looking high and low for that damned thief. By the time he got home to his dank little apartment, his mind kept reeling back to his short-lived experience with the blonde man. This case was going to be the death of him.

Nursing a cup of hot coffee, Kurogane plopped unceremoniously in front of his desk. While Yuuko had excused him from all paperwork, it was still his duty to post an APB on the suspect, especially now that his general appearance was revealed. Logging onto the system, he began to type mechanically, too tired to bother putting forth much thought.

**PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:**

Male: approximately six feet in height, 120 pounds; chin length silky, soft, blonde hair; sparkling, sky blue eyes; cute as fu –

Kurogane blinked rapidly at what he saw on the screen. _What the hell am I typing? Am I _that_ tired?_ The bewildered detective even went to such lengths as to smell his coffee to make sure Yuuko didn't spike the pot with sake, _again._ As if summoned, the woman stepped into the office without a knock or invitation. Repeatedly pressing the back space key, Kurogane felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

His efforts were futile; Yuuko already had a gleam in her eye that resembled a predator ready to feast upon a wounded, baby animal. "What are you up to Detective?" While the chief's voice was light, her face looked smug.

Kurogane was quite impressed with himself for keeping his expression impassive. "An APB form. Now go away; you're annoyingly distracting." He didn't notice that his words lacked their typical bite.

Yuuko merely grinned; her red rimmed glasses made her look particularly devilish. Waving a hand nonchalantly, she turned around to walk out of the office. Calling over her shoulder, she said, "Oh fine. I just wanted to let you know that I approve." Kurogane attempted to shrug in indifference as he focused on _correctly_ filling out the form. He refused to give his boss the satisfaction of knowing that she had gotten to him (it made him feel better to think he had the upper hand).

OoOo

Months passed as Kurogane and The Phoenix continued their game of cat and mouse. With each encounter the blonde became increasingly flirtatious, much to Detective Suwa's chagrin. While annoying, it did add a new element to the mix. The man, in short, was astounding in his behavior. He would smile and joke, but rarely did the light reach his eyes. He was cunning and swift, but acted like a damned buffoon. He was a notorious criminal, but always carried a bulky LED flashlight. It infuriated Kurogane that the man would lie so thickly on his emotions, yet carried himself in a way that suggested that a part of him wanted to believe the façade. That was what intrigued and enticed the detective to look forward to each meeting, and near arrest, of the infamous Phoenix.

Currently, the detective was running through a dark street. Moments earlier, he had caught The Phoenix in the act, and the chase was on. Rounding a corner, Kurogane's frustration grew at the reminder that the lithe blonde had escaped his line of sight. Moving as fast as he was, he nearly missed his target.

Skidding to a halt, Kurogane huffed in annoyance as he watched the thief walk backwards, making a spectacle of himself by waving wildly. If the detective didn't know any better, he would think the moron had forgotten he was a fugitive on the run. Curious to know what had so easily distracted the other man, Kurogane peered past the shorter figure to focus on a bright house further down the road. On the front lawn stood a young girl, perhaps eight or nine, with short ginger hair and bright green eyes; she was enthusiastically waving back to Phoenix.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kurogane smirked in mild amusement as the crook jumped in surprise.

"What does it look like, Kuro-rin? I'm saying bye to my new friend." Light brown eyebrows twitched as the detective snorted in disbelief. "No really! Her name's Sakura! She was playing at a friend's house and got lost in the dark. She looked like an adorable, lost little kitten; I just had to help! It was too cute listening to her talk about her family. You sure missed out Kuro-myuu."

Kurogane had no idea on what to make of this recollection. It was hard to believe that the man had enough time to do as he said while in the middle of escaping a pursuit. However, the look of adoration on the girl's face was hard to ignore. But what kind of criminal risks getting caught to help a lost child? Even then, the average person, as sad as it may be, probably would not have stopped to assist. This fact made Kurogane's determination to capture The Phoenix waver slightly.

While he battled with ethics, The Phoenix took his queue to escape, but not before blowing the detective a kiss goodnight. Fingers itching to pull the trigger on his gun, Detective Suwa renewed his vow to catch the thief, if only because he was a menace to the public's mental state.

OoOo

A week later, Kurogane found himself running through the streets of Eastern Koneko once more. But this time he had a plan, which The Phoenix was following through perfectly. Both men were traveling through a closed-off walkway of sorts, tall brick walls lining the sides. During the day, the structure served as an area for leisurely strolls, but tonight it provided the perfect trap.

The end of the walkway was boxed off; the only means of escape was an entrance to a shut-down subway station. The surrounding walls were too high to climb, leaving The Phoenix with only two choices: try to get past Kurogane, and fail, or go into the underground tunnels. What the thief didn't know though, was that all the tunnels ended in a dead-end. With the exact function of a maze, the blonde would only be delaying the inevitable if he chose the subway.

Kurogane grinned as The Phoenix veered toward the underground entrance. This was too easy. Following down the stairs, he was momentarily taken aback by the pitch black void awaiting him. The detective had no problem with the dark, but the inky nothingness was unsettling. Tonight he couldn't really mock the thief's insistence on carrying a flashlight, since his own proved to be of value in the tunnels. In the expansive dark Kurogane lost sight of his target. That didn't matter though, he knew he'd eventually catch up; it was only a matter of time.

Rounding a corner, Kurogane was shocked to say the least. The Phoenix stood ram-rod-straight in the middle of the corridor; the sack of stolen goods lay forgotten on the grime coated floor. The flashlight the other man carried barely managed to stay within slack fingers, the light dead. With the blonde's back turned toward him, he couldn't read his expression. Never the less, it was extremely unnerving to see the usually energetic man stand listlessly in the dark.

Cautiously, Kurogane moved to the front of the burglar, guard kept up in case this was some kind of trick. Lifting his own flashlight onto the blonde's face, he nearly gasped as blue eyes were glassed over. The blank stare made the man look like a porcelain doll, lifeless and fragile. Already pale skin looked as white as a sheet. Lips moved in a furious pattern, mouthing the words "I'm sorry" over and over again. The man's breath hitched with each repetition, putting him at risk for hyperventilation.

Kurogane reached out to grab the thief's arm, feeling the slight tremors of fear jolting through the skinny limb. Red eyes flickered between the shaking appendage and the expressionless face. Gently nudging the man, he quietly called out, "Hey, Phoenix. Snap out of it." When no response was given, he tried again, this time with slightly more force. Still nothing. Panic began to surge through the detective at his own uselessness.

Hesitantly, Kurogane pulled The Phoenix into a reassuring hug, holding firmly until the body tremors subsided. A shaky, deep breath signaled the blonde's return to reality. Pulling away, he wasn't expecting to see the small, _real_ smile the other directed toward him. Before he could ask any questions, the burglar shook his head as he stepped back.

With a voice full of appreciation, and some other emotion Kurogane couldn't place, The Phoenix said, "Thank you Kuro-same. Who knows what I would have done if you didn't find me. Isn't it silly for a grown man to still be scared of the dark?" At the last comment, the blonde let out a painfully fake chuckle that filled the space. He wasn't fooled; he had heard the waver in the man's voice as he spoke. Clearly there was more to the problem than he let on.

The detective silently handed the thief his flashlight as he bent down to pick up the discarded sack. Straightening back up, Kurogane smirked at the quizzical expression on pale features. Holding the bag up, he pointedly said, "I'll keep this. You turn back around. If you go straight you'll reach the exit. The battery will last till then." He watched with amusement as the blonde gaped in shock, trying to form some witty response, no doubt, and failing. Gathering his composure, The Phoenix gave a final look of gratitude toward the taller man before escaping through the tunnel. Kurogane only felt a small prick of guilty for giving up on the chase tonight, but it was worth it.

OoOo

Kurogane sat quietly in his office, looking out the window as the sun settled for the evening. It had only been three days since the last encounter between cop and robber, and he was bored out of his mind. He was even willing to do paperwork or put up with Yuuko if it meant giving him something to do. When a ringtone began to play in the silent room, he practically dove for his cellphone.

"Detective Suwa speaking. What do you want?" Just because Kurogane was bored did not mean his gruff attitude would magically dissipate.

"Hello Detective. We just got a call from a patrol officer reporting a match to your APB. He stated that a young, blonde male was wandering around 21th East and 85st South. We thought it best to inform you. Have a good evening." The woman over the phone quickly hung up, sending a small click over the receiver to end the signal. Kurogane bemusedly stared at his phone. The Phoenix never operated so soon after a job. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the detective grabbed his keys and headed for the door. Even if the call was unrelated to his suspect, at least he now had something to do.

OoOo

Kurogane would probably never get over the power surge one got when clearing traffic with a siren. Having an excuse to drive 20 miles past the speed limit, with every single car off to the side to give you access, was an amazing feeling. Sliding to a stop in front of the largest house on the block, the detective clambered out of his vehicle.

Bursting through the entrance gate of the building, Kurogane felt a rush of unexplained emotions at the sight of his (wait, _his_?) blonde in his typical, ridiculous get-up. Noticing the grappling gun in gloved hands, the lithe figure poised to fire, the detective took immediate action. The exact moment The Phoenix pulled the trigger, he was tackled from the side unexpectedly. The momentum from the trajectory, added to the force of the push, caused the rope from the device to wrap around the men as they unceremoniously fell to the ground.

The detective began to chuckle as he managed to choke out, "I finally caught you, ya bastard!" As his laughter died down, his gaze met the wide eyed look from the blonde. Finally realization kicked in to the current predicament. Tan cheeks darkened as a blush crept across his face. _Well, this is awkward._

Kurogane struggled to get out of the confines of the rope, all the while trying to avoid eye contact. Before The Phoenix could bolt, he latched onto a scrawny wrist. With indignant grunts the smaller man attempted to break free from the grip. The detective ignored the desperate yanks as he reached for the handcuffs in his pocket.

He hastily locked the cuffs onto the lithe wrists as he growled, "If you try to run I _will _shoot you in the leg." The Phoenix let out a huff of surrender. It was finally over.

Kurogane gently pushed the criminal into the car, and then quietly moved to sit in the driver's seat. Despite his earlier elation at catching the criminal, he felt strangely hollow inside. Everything about the situation seemed _wrong_. The drive to the precinct was kept in silence. The detective could not bring himself to look at his prisoner. If he did, he was pretty sure he'd be tempted to punch something.

OoOo

Processing the thief into custody went by without incident, if only painfully slow. The awkward silence between the men remained; the tension could be felt by anyone within a ten-foot radius. No longer able to handle the stiff atmosphere, Kurogane asked some rookie to show The Phoenix to his holding cell. Meanwhile, the detective worked on uploading the man's fingerprints into AFIS.

Kurogane was surprised when the data search yielded a match within the hour. A faster result typically indicated a merit of importance, such as a heavily consequential crime.

**NAME:** Fai D. Fluorite

**OFFENSE CODE:** 005883

**DATE OF OFFENSE:** XX, XX, XX03

**SEX:** Male

**DOB:** XX, XX, XX86

**PLACE OF OCCUPATION:** Cat's Eye Café

**ADDITIONAL DATABASE FILE(S):** Child Services

Most of the information on the blonde's – Fai's – file made Kurogane's eyebrow go up in surprise. The first thing to catch the detective's eye though, was the DOB. '86 meant that The Phoenix was 27…that idiot was older than him! The offense code also threw him off. If he remembered correctly, a 588 signified manslaughter; the 3 meant that the charge had been acquitted. Granted, Fai was a strange man, but a killer, even unintentionally, just did not suit him. If the offense occurred in '03, then the blonde had to have been 17 at the time. As expected, the file created more questions than it answered.

In an attempt to gather more information on the supposed manslaughter, Kurogane began a search under old case files. All the detective could find was that Fai's crime was discredited on the basis of self-defense against his 44 year old foster-mother, Hailey Darko. At the time, Fai's twin brother, Yuui, was killed by Darko, and the teen believed he was next. Unfortunately, there were no referrals as to the reasoning behind the woman's actions.

Kurogane's next inquiry faced the blonde's old social work files. While searching, the detective was at war with himself. On one side, it felt as though he were prying into The Phoenix's life, which he had no right to know. On the other, he felt an obligation to learn the truth, to know more about the mysterious man who pretty much crashed into his life. Hesitantly, he clicked on the link to the thief's past.

Reading through the service file, Kurogane felt a dark chill spread though his heart. The grip on the computer mouse tightened, threatening to shatter the measly bits of plastic. He could not believe the image presented on the screen. Two emaciated blonde boys stood huddled together, clinging desperately to their counterpart for support. The statement read that when the boys turned 10, their parents lost complete custody over the children.

Child services had been informed by concerned school faculty regarding the boys' starved appearance. An investigation revealed that the Fluorite family barely fed the twins to meet their basic needs. Abuse was prevalent in the household. If one child "misbehaved," both children were taken to separate closets and locked in, forced to be alone in the dark for hours on end. The only explanation given on the parents' behavior was that their cultural superstitions dictated that twins were a sign of ill omen. It was from the kindness of their hearts to keep the devil children alive for as long as they did.

Kurogane felt sick to his stomach as he read through the file; it was hard to believe the cruelty that Fai and his brother had to endure. In a haze, the detective rose from his chair and stormed out of the office. He didn't care where his feet took him, so long as it was far away from that damned computer. He could no longer bring himself to question _why_ he was in front of The Phoenix's holding cell.

Looking back to the front desk of the jailor maintenance, Kurogane felt numb as the officer gave a nod of acceptance. After a short buzzing noise, he entered the cell. The very sight of familiar blonde hair eased the raging emotions welling inside him. Fai sat on a cement bench, a small smile gracing his lips. If he was surprised to see the detective, he gave no sign of it. Wordlessly, Kurogane sat on the opposing bench. As he moved, red and blue eyes locked together.

"So, judging by the look on your face I'd venture a guess in saying you looked at my files." Fai's voice did not hold an ounce of bitterness, much to Kurogane's expectations. Instead, the man's tone sounded scared.

Kurogane merely gave a half nod, followed by a long, awkward pause. Finally, the detective forced himself to ask, "Are your parents the reason you're terrified of the dark?" A dark chuckle was the only response received, and needed. The answer was pretty self-explanatory; that didn't mean he had to like it.

He decided to go straight for the kill, "Can you tell me what happened to your brother?" The blonde tense, making the detective half expect him to lash out. It had been 10 years since Yuui's death. If the topic was still too sensitive for Fai, then it was time for him to work through the grief. Another long stretch of silence settled between the men.

With a deep sigh, Fai eventually responded, "That…woman….was a heavy drinker, yet ironically a perfectionist. Everything had to go according to her plans. When rumor got around that one of her wards was gay, well, she wasn't too happy." The man paused; his voice wavered with each word, showing how difficult it must have been for him to talk about his past. Silently, Kurogane stood from his bench to sit next to the blonde for support.

Flashing a broken smile, Fai continued his story. "We really were identical. No one could ever tell us apart. It was fun to play tricks on people, get them confused. But…Yuui, he got home first. That woman attacked him. Yuui…didn't believe in violence. H-he didn't fight back." He broke off into a sob. It was hard, seeing the usually cheerful man on the verge of falling to pieces. The detective attempted to rub his back, to be soothing. Comforting never was his forte.

Fai took another deep breath, forcing himself to move forward. "When I got there, Yuui was in the kitchen bleeding. I sort of blacked out after that; I don't remember much else. Just blood. Lots and lots of blood." A second dark chuckle emanated from the blonde. "You know, Yuui is the reason I'm a thief. After they cremated him, put his precious ashes in some pathetic cardboard box, I promised my brother I'd give him a better resting place. I'd buy him a mansion for him to rest in peace, to enjoy the home he deserved. I tried working honestly, really, I did. But it took too damn long to save up the money. You can only make so much as a waiter." Once more Fai broke off into silence.

Before Kurogane could comment, the burglar leaned against his side, cutting off any logical thoughts. "But you know, not too long after I found another reason. It was so much fun teasing you, watching you get angry, and well, flirting. I've never met anyone so expressive! Before I knew it, you were becoming a major drive in my thievery. Ironic, isn't it? It didn't help that you kept being kind to me. That's probably why I got caught. I couldn't resist seeing you again, especially after you helped me in the tunnels. It doesn't matter now though; you probably hate me, all things considering."

Kurogane quickly pulled away from the blonde to look him in the eye. His voice strengthen with resolve, he said, "I don't hate you, you idiot. If it's about that Darko bitch, she can burn in hell for all I care. And well…I…sort of enjoyed chasing after you." He so desperately wanted to die right then and there; this mushy, touchy-feely crap was far too embarrassing for his liking.

Fai's smile grew slightly, even as traces of sadness lingered in his eyes. Leaning forward, he whispered, "Well then, if that's the case…" Kurogane closed his eyes and leaned forward as well. Just inches away from the blonde, the detective was not expecting the sharp pain that suddenly shot through his neck. Within seconds he lost consciousness, but not before cursing himself for being so foolish.

OoOo

Kurogane jolted awake as ice water splashed across his face. A threatening growl erupted from his throat as the smug expression of Yuuko greeted him. Sitting up, the precinct's break room became increasingly familiar. Grabbing the towel held out to him, he felt his foul mood fluxing by the second.

"Yeah, I know I fucked up! Lemme guess, I'm suspended for a week without pay?" Kurogane practically snarled the words, his eyes glaring daggers at his boss, as if challenging her to meet his hostility.

Yuuko gave a small sigh as she plopped into a chair. "No, no, I plan to do nothing of the sort. While the commissioner and mayor are demanding your head, I believe this to be hitsuzen. In fact Detective, I'm quite proud of you." The chief ignored the indignant snort directed at her words. Walking up to her subordinate, the woman playfully patted his cheek, a sly grin gracing her lips. "Now go home; I can deal with a couple of men that have their heads stuck up their asses. You deserve a break." With a wink, she turned and left, her hair fluttering behind.

Too exhausted to question his boss' quirks, Kurogane made sure he had his keys before exiting the building. He needed a drink.

OoOo

Entering his apartment, Kurogane bit back the desire to throw something, anything. He ended up forgoing the drink; all the man wanted to do now was sleep. While tossing his keys onto the table, a bit of white caught the corner of his eye. Turning, the detective saw a folded piece of paper taped to his wall. Pulling off the paper and unfolding it, he was grinning despite himself.

Inside read a note:

"_Hi there my big puppy! You're probably pissed at me at the moment, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do. Let me make it up to you! I'll meet you at the Clover Bar at about nine o'clock. Drinks are on me. See ya there!~_

_P.S. Check your wallet~"_

Dumbfounded, Kurogane stumbled for the wallet in his front pocket. Looking inside the folded leather, the detective noticed a 20 dollar bill missing. Muttering to himself, he said, "That thieving bastard." The words held no heat though, as he quickly checked the clock on his wall. Eight thirty, that gave him plenty of time. Rushing out the door, he nearly forgot his keys. Oh, the game was on, and Kurogane was not going to lose this round.

**FINAL AN:**** First, let me just point out that if you noticed a repetition in each scenario, that was on purpose! Second, if you are interested, I'm currently writing a multi-fic-ish story and it's another AU. The outline is done, and I have the first chapter underway! To get more info, feel free to check my profile. Hopefully I can get the first chapter posted sometime this month. **

**Until then, xwcx~**


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